The use of Accuplacer and Compass for college course placement has been criticized for putting too many students in remedial courses. I think this is mostly blaming the messenger for the news.
Placement tests may be part of the problem, according to reformers.
Two highly publicized studies, released in February by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College, found that large numbers of students are being unnecessarily placed into remedial courses.
I remember this news story. As I recall, there were two major problems. First, the colleges were being very casual about the test and telling students, "Oh, it's not a big deal; just go take it now." This was bad for students who hadn't thought about math in three or four months. The second problem was that they wouldn't let them retake the test. When this information came
out, it made the colleges look very bad.
Nowadays, things are different. The college my son will be attending has a note saying that studying is "highly recommended." Sample questions are provided. I checked the other local colleges and found roughly the same things: sample questions and links to study aids and/or advice on how to study. DS's school will let students take the test twice in 365 days; some schools do this, others don't.
ETA: when this story broke two years ago, I also checked the local college websites, primarily as a way to check claims that "no one told me to study." There was nothing about studying back then, and one college even had a blurb about how they weren't a big deal.
Given the watered-down nature of US high school math classes, I do NOT agree with that article's claim that grades are better at predicting placement than these tests, which are untimed and straightforward.
